Two-way radios, cell phones, and other handheld communication devices are often used in environmentally hazardous areas. Good, reliable communications among personnel engaged in hazardous environmental activities, such as fire fighting, are essential for accomplishing their missions while maintaining their own health and safety. Working conditions may require the use of a pressurized air delivery system, such as a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) mask and air delivery system. A remote microphone is sometimes included within the mask to communicate with a portable radio used by the firefighter to communicate with others. The remote microphone used within the safety mask is battery operated and thus must be manually turned on and off by the user. Also, when the mask is removed, the remote microphone may still be activated making it awkward for the user to transmit.
Accordingly, there is a need to facilitate the use of a remote microphone in a safety mask.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.